British Wool's Renaissance: Prices, Traceability and Trust

A New Leader for a Storied Fibre

Ian Maclean takes the helm of the Campaign for Wool at a pivotal moment. British wool prices have climbed to their highest level in nine years, yet the industry is contending with fresh questions about how wool is produced, following protests at recent fashion weeks. The dual narrative captures both the promise and the pressure facing natural fibres today.

In mid-September, animal rights activists disrupted COS’ New York Fashion Week show, urging parent company H&M Group to abandon wool after footage emerged allegedly showing mistreatment at a farm linked to the fast fashion giant. The group argued that certification alone cannot guarantee humane treatment. Maclean, however, believes the industry should focus on “visibility throughout the supply chain, giving brands and consumers confidence in where the fibre originates and how it is produced.”

A Lifelong Champion of Wool

Maclean’s connection to wool runs deep. As chair of knitwear brand John Smedley, he brings a wealth of experience from board roles at UKFT, The Clothworkers’ Company and The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust. His mission is clear: restore wool’s standing, make British and international wool more relevant to brands and consumers, and elevate the crucial role farmers play in the supply chain.

Challenging Perceptions

One of the biggest hurdles, according to Maclean, is the outdated notion that British wool is only good for carpets and upholstery. “The reality is that the UK produces a huge variety of wool types, with a significant proportion perfectly suited to fashion applications,” he says. British Wool, which collects, grades and markets the fibre on behalf of UK sheep farmers, is tackling this head-on with sourcing guides that help brands identify suitable yarns and fabrics. Its Wool Exchange partnership with Central Saint Martins connects designers and students with farmers, processors and manufacturers, fostering a deeper understanding of wool’s potential in contemporary fashion.

With over 60 sheep breeds in the UK, Maclean sees ample opportunity for brands to explore distinct characteristics. He is not advocating for British wool to replace imported fibres; rather, he believes local and international supply chains can complement each other. “British wool sits alongside fibres such as Australian, South African and New Zealand Merino rather than replacing them,” he explains. “As more brands look for locally sourced raw materials, British wool offers clear advantages around provenance, traceability and supply chain transparency.”

Finer wools, especially Merino, remain vital to British manufacturing. Their softness makes them ideal for fine tailored cloth and suiting, while their established supply chains support specialist processing and textile production in the UK. “Fine wools support the British manufacturing infrastructure as they are processed into luxurious fine wool cloths,” Maclean adds. “Wool arrived in Britain from around the world in the 1800s, and most of this early-stage processing and manufacturing infrastructure would not have survived without these volumes of wool.”

Prices Rise, But Demand Must Endure

The numbers tell a story of renewed commercial interest. According to British Wool, the average auction price reached £1.21 per kilogram in November 2025, up from £1.00 per kilogram the previous season. Its price index had risen 27 percent over the preceding two months, reaching a nine-year high. The organisation attributed the surge to strong competition from UK, European and Chinese buyers, alongside global demand for quality crossbred wool outstripping supply.

The increase follows wider efforts to reconnect farmers with the fashion industry. Fashion Roundtable’s Great British Wool Revival, for instance, is mapping supply chains and bringing farmers, mills, spinners, designers and brands closer together. An Innovate UK-led Wool Innovation Community project also united industry stakeholders between 2022 and 2024 to identify barriers and opportunities across the value chain.

For Maclean, rising prices will only translate into lasting benefits if brands and consumers continue to buy wool. “It all comes back to demand,” he insists. “The more consumers seek out products made from British wool and the more brands choose to use British wool in their products, the stronger returns will be for farmers. Traceability is another important piece of the puzzle.” He continues: “People increasingly want to know where products come from, and being able to connect wool back to the farm creates opportunities to add value and better recognise the role farmers play in the supply chain. Local supply chains will, I think, become increasingly important.”

The Campaign for Wool, launched in 2010, contributes to this effort through consumer education, industry partnerships and its annual Wool Month, which promotes wool across fashion, interiors and craft. Its mission is to ensure that greater awareness leads to sustained demand, not just price increases.

Closing the Farm-to-Fashion Gap

Building those connections is not straightforward. The UK no longer has the processing infrastructure it once did, which can make local production difficult for brands to navigate. Maclean, however, believes opportunities remain for companies wanting to manufacture garments from British wool closer to home. “Farm-to-fashion supply chains also exist with Merino wools from other countries and are becoming increasingly demanded,” he says. “Storytelling is key in educating consumers about wool and can be captured through video at every stage of sourcing and manufacturing, from the farm to the finished product. Digital media can highlight these supply chains much more easily, and more widely, than traditional media channels.”

Animal Welfare and Transparency

The industry must also contend with criticism over shearing practices and mulesing, a procedure used in some sheep-rearing systems to reduce the risk of flystrike. PETA’s recent protests have challenged the use of wool more broadly, arguing that animal suffering can occur even within certified supply chains. Maclean believes visibility and informed sourcing decisions are central to addressing such concerns, while acknowledging that standards must continue to evolve.

It must be noted that while PETA’s recent protests have brought concerns to the spotlight, criticism of particular practices should not be taken as a reflection of every wool producer. For Maclean, transparency is central to giving brands and consumers confidence in how the fibre is produced. He argues that brands already have access to information about suppliers’ animal welfare practices and can use it to make sourcing decisions that align with their own values.

The International Wool Textile Organisation Green Book, published in June 2026, also highlights the role of traceability systems in identifying where wool was grown and harvested, helping improve transparency across the supply chain. However, the report notes that the increased rollout of sustainability standards can create duplicated audits, higher costs and confusion for growers, manufacturers and brands. Traceability can therefore help establish a clearer picture of a fibre’s origins, but it does not, in itself, demonstrate that every animal welfare concern has been resolved.

Maclean stated: “The wool industry doesn’t need to do anything different and should continue to focus on visibility throughout the supply chain, giving brands and consumers confidence in where the fibre originates and how it is produced. For British wool, that conversation is supported by some of the world’s highest animal welfare standards, with increasing levels of farm-to-product traceability helping deliver assurance through transparency rather than claims alone.

Most countries have very stringent practices and welfare policies in place. Brands have this information to make informed supplier decisions; in an industry with strong transparency, they can choose suppliers that best align with their brand values. There is always room for improvement and change, as in any industry, and the wool industry invests significant time and resources to move this forward.”

Maclean’s sights will therefore be set on both demonstrating wool’s relevance to modern fashion while ensuring brands and consumers can better understand its origins. Higher prices may be encouraging, but stronger demand, clearer supply chains and continued scrutiny of production practices will determine whether the sector can enable lasting progress.